Hi, we're the good ship illustration. And we run online courses to help illustrators and image makers navigate a creative career. We are Tanya, Katie and Helen, we have about 70 years experience between us, each of us working in a different area of illustration. Welcome to message in a bottle of our new podcast answering your questions, you can send your messages to Goodship pillow@gmail.com. And title it message in a bottle. So we know what it's about. Ellen's very excited to this episode, because we're talking about substack for illustrators. If you haven't heard of some people have listened to this and they might not really know what subset is to start with. Yeah, okay. All right. I have to warn you, though. I'm so excited about this. And I have got kind of a fast northern voice and I might speed up so you might, you might want to play the podcast a bit slowed down. But anyway, yeah. What is substack? Well, it's self publishing platforms, self publishing. I mean, it was started for writers, wasn't it? Yeah. And it's huge in America. A huge in America, like imagining like a rock band. The way you told me who and a nice techie. So you explained it to me as an alternative to MailChimp, that you could put pictures in photos Yeah, and it would send out every week, and much easier to use. Exactly. I used to have my newsletter on MailChimp for years, then I moved it to Squarespace when my website was on there. And so right newsletter, send it out. But I'd also have to copy and paste the newsletter into my blog, so that people could read it on my website, that was an extra little job to do. And then if people love the newsletter, and wanted to talk to me, they will press press reply, and then I'd get loads of separate emails in my email box of replies, which were very lovely, but two pages to answer back, or I'd have to ignore them. Whereas with substack, you write a newsletter. Off it goes, It's automatically saved as a blog post within the website. And people can take questions underneath, they can chat with each other, so I don't necessarily need to join in and answer. So yeah, it's just much quicker and easier. And because substack has its own audience within the app, and everybody's chatting with each other. You build your newsletter faster as well. So you gain new followers. It's just brilliant magic. It's like Instagram without the annoying algorithm. Yes, that is something when there's a chronological thing, like somebody just wanted something, there it is on the pile, and you can read Yeah, exactly. And then even if you signed up, you can, well, I hadn't fully signed up to the pay the pay side of it. So I'm looking at the external parts of the substack newsletters from you and from side Tasker and also Sarah tasket. And from Carson Ellis, and so good subjects, and they're always things that you've bought to a friend, somehow, it contains everything that you think your best mate might need. And so it's just simple to pass it on. quite intimate, aren't they in the chats feel quite intimate? And you get real insight into somebody's life on the best ones? Yeah. And it just feels like it's supercharged community building, because it's so shareable. And also, we could almost not do this podcast. Basically, Helen, so excited about substack she doesn't really need to explain anything about it. Just go on the fact that she's just she's levitating with it. The problem is I've got deadlines, but I'm just obsessed with SaltStack it's all I can think about. What have you been writing about? About our house and how I sit on the bed and try and see people who lived in our house in the past? About pies minstrel microwave. So I've been convinced to buy a microwave because you can cook minstrels you know sweets, chocolates in a microwave. Microwave for a few seconds, you put your minstrel in, I tell them if you put one at a time Minister lands takes a couple of seconds ticket out looks like an ordinary Minstrel, put in your mouth. Proceed with caution. I want to do really short. But you're writing about illustration on you. You put your pencil pals Yeah, that's a good fit illustrator. Yeah, so mostly writing about illustration. Why is it good for illustrators? I don't it's good to have a newsletter, isn't it to communicate that? You do like I've always all my newsletters have always been about illustration in the past, but what I've enjoyed about substack is I feel like I can I don't know why I've never thought of this before. I got a message from our friend Mollis the breeze. She said, why don't you write about your house? I really want to hear about your house. And so I thought, yeah, all right. I'll do what about But it was the most popular one I ever did. And so now I feel as if you don't even need to stay on brand, you don't need to 100% just be an illustrator. You can chat about anything else because that's why I got stuck. I start I put all my blogs for illustrators from a website onto substack. And that was nice. And then I was giving away anything, because I feel like I'm hemmed into that box. I've got to write useful things, but I think I'm gonna Yeah, experiment. Yeah, I can you put images and film it? Yeah. So on all of your posts, you can put images in the thing that's been confusing me a little bit. I think I've got my head around it now is because I would like chatting to other illustrators. I like to have discussions where people can post their pictures underneath. And so I got very confused about which posts allow a picture in the reply. So I've done a few posts where I've immediately had to edit it and going, oh, sorry, I got all confused and you can't post a picture. But um, yes, some of that you can set up a chat and you can set up a note, not some chats, allowed pictures in the replays. That's brilliant. That's good for industries do you have to have a paywall when you don't have to, but substack are really encouraging everybody to do that. And kids Katina we watched we watched a talk between Sarah Tasker and Farrah storm, didn't we about as far I still like the queen of slob stuff. Yeah, I think I know exactly sure what her job is. But she used to be the editor. Button. This is Sarah taskers podcast. Yes. Which live calls and yeah, it's still available. I'm thinking we could put this in the notes. Couldn't we some people, there is a podcast between Sarah and Ferran. And she also did a live that we watched. Is it is that on hashtag authentic? Yeah. Yep. Which doesn't have the hashtag symbol in all words. Look for Sarah taskers, but that's both slower. Yeah. If you check her podcast, brilliant. What was it going with this? Oh, yeah, so found was saying. So there's a paywall, so you can, people can join for free or they can pledge just more small amount every month. And then they can read other content. They keep behind a paywall. And I was listening to the chat between Sarah and Pharaoh, and Pharaoh said that substack are really trying to encourage everybody just to start their newsletter with the paywall immediately, because if people are following you, they might be completely happy to give you a fiver every month to support you just because they like you. So what's the point in not having a paywall up? And so when I first started mine, I didn't have a paywall. What I didn't know is that substack and this is change all the settings behind the scenes, they let people pledge their support. So it's basically as soon as you open your paywall people who have pledged will immediately be a paid subscriber, because I didn't know that everybody had pledged in dollars. And so as soon as they got on my paywall in pounds, I lost all my pledge. So if you're not going to if you're not going to open your payroll first make sure you get your settings right behind the scenes, because you might have people pledging and then you're going to lose that money but I think you might I wish I hadn't. hesitant hesitated. I should have just opened it with a paywall immediately, why not is scary? Yeah, it's a good thing. Yeah. So Patreon is that people have got used to Patreon. We're a kind of subscription culture now. I'm sure there's some at some point, where this is gonna be a problem in some form. That's me being the negative Yeah. One of the problems with this substance Pokhara around and see what might have been I did see the other day on a banks a banking app that it would go through all your subscriptions and help you delete the ones you didn't use anymore, which was a sign of how these subscriptions usually streaming services, perhaps small indie alternative art things, but what's the average people pay for a substitute? It seems to be on average sort of five or $6 or pounds per month. Okay, so there are apparently people who provide financial education or advice charge a lot more because then people can make within finance can put that down as a business expense. So it depends what the content of your newsletter is, if you can put it down as a business expense and you could charge what happens if you don't have something to say every every week? I've just got loads and loads of drafts. So in my drafts folder, every time I have an idea no matter how stupid I write this idea down, and there's one this one at the moment that says hot itchy nipples Mr haven't just said hotter. And that's because I had this problem for a while. Nipples couldn't undo Standby. And then I think maybe it's a menopause until I started wearing much cooler that's in the Draft Draft was a milestone, Oscar. It was like watching. That was Oscar. Okay, so what was horse go through that was because I found the deeds for our house. And we live on a street with a really, really boring conventional street name the same as everybody streets. But in our deeds, it says that our house used to be called horse gutter. And that's either because there used to be there was a temporary at the end of the street so they were probably got in cows and horses, or maybe it's because the main thoroughfare from Scotland to England is at the top of our street. And so maybe this swept all the horseshit down our street and we were the horse gunner. I have no idea. It's just look how free you can be with your content. I love it so much. That's what I really love about it. Like talk about finding your creative voice. Yeah, I think about the progress I made from years ago started Sarah Tasker took my phone off me started me an Instagram account. And maybe in a Generation X was like, why would I have an Instagram account? This sounds rubbish. Sarah has often taken my phone off me and started me on something without my permission, which is brilliant. I'm so glad she does. So there I would post a picture and nervously write one or two things like a few words and think about what to write, I'll just post a picture. But it seems so easy because it was just visual. And then as the years have gone by, I've actually enjoyed the written bit underneath. And then now it's substack. It's like, Oh, my God, I can just do all chat and forget the pictures. And and now that's why I really like that what I transition, you're transitioning into your full writer self. It shows it's you being yourself, and that's what people are there for. They're not there, because you're talking about specific things. Some of them are but then they'll see because they're like, yeah, like the way you're writing and you're putting images together. And yeah, well, that's what makes you as a creative isn't it's where your stories come from your characters come from is an interest in all these things. And going back to notions of style or whatever, again, uniqueness, that's what makes you you because you're giving free rein to all your competence, doesn't it? Go to competence again, because expressing all those embarrassing things about yourself? I feel like that was really difficult when I was younger. And now I feel like the best things about yourself. Those are the things that are really interesting. When more and more think people are coming to that conclusion that you said earlier talking about Sarah Tasker is subset where she was talking about the bits that you are most afraid of revealing that sort of evil most wonderful as what they totally want. And the moment you reveal that everyone is attracted by that vulnerability, and they feel they can be part of this world rather than that glossy, perfectly contoured face or beautiful kitchen or all the things that you see on Instagram that are otherworldly, and you can't be part of I think, yeah, vulnerabilities. Yeah, I finally got on board with fundamental exercises. Okay, selfie without any makeup really broken through. But yeah, for that, I think substack is gonna be a really interesting place. I was wondering about frequency like, do you have like a set? Do you really want this for yourself of how to listen to Ferris Dora the guru of substack. Talking about subjects she said, You must have a certain frequency like, once a week on what some people do three times a week. Some of the most successful people do three times a week but they're making their entire living. I think Instagram rules Yeah. Well, I haven't find people that are real. Nobody's doing that. So I don't I do it when inspiration hits. And it's hitting a lot at the moment. But I guess there's a point where my subsidy so I've not made any promises. It's easier not to make any promises. It's not as a big stamp of approval. Yeah. So your numbers went right up shot right up. So I imagine now people will realize what they're gonna get. They're locked out again the anti Marketing podcast. Yeah, exactly. So if you can you mess up. Like it doesn't matter does it in some way. If you don't post that weekly, do your numbers go down or d power choice? Well, I think Ferriss talking about, if people know what day of the week, they're gonna get your newsletter, they're gonna be looking forward to it. And so it gives that sort of stability and that you know, can't remember the word that they can rely on you always pushing at a certain time waiting for unreliable people. But I just decided that it'd be okay. I don't know whether it will, we'll see what we've really let us know if you can just sort of be a bit flaky sometimes. In our minds. I don't think people will mind. I haven't made any promises. So everything's a bonus. Yeah. And you've got paid subscribers as well. Do you feel more pressure because people are paying? Not at all no, doesn't feel any different? There was a really interesting fact I heard parents say somebody asked what day of the week should you release your newsletter? And she said, if your thing is very busy Monday morning, if your thing is very, very, holidays, time off casual life stuff, Sunday, and then it goes, the range goes on between Monday and Sunday to be released. It depends on how far between business and relaxed so as a free so I'm releasing all of my house stuff on Sundays. But my illustration stuff on Wednesdays because I don't think it's serious enough for a Monday. Maybe it's okay for Wednesday. Everyone gets overwhelmed on Monday morning, and definitely nothing should be posted after three o'clock on Friday. Now, there's also last minute people get, I'll just catch you before you get off work and know you will know. So just to wrap up substack chat with a quick fire. Helen, are you ready? I'm ready. I'm ready. Got it. So why why bother? Why start? Well, well, I always send a newsletter anyway. And so moving it to substack means you've got the option of paywall so you can make some money off it. Why would you not be paid for what you're doing? Anyway? That seems like a good idea. Especially if you're just starting out as an illustrator. This is a really good way to have a second income. diversification. Exactly. Good. Yep. Is it difficult? Is the interface difficult or steady? Easy? I did. The only thing is they've got threads chat notes who just don't know, I just I've had to. I've had to do a few substantive Google searches. But no, it's not. It's not difficult. It's not difficult. Easy is easier than MailChimp. Which I found if you found it easier, yeah, I think it's easier than MailChimp mentioned. wasn't, wasn't really hard. But yeah, yeah. Come on quick fire. Somebody wants to get started, what's the easiest way to just start? I don't know what to do. I just went in opened an account in the same way you would do on eBay. But make sure you've got a nice logo or something. So you look like a professional. Because I've just got another little tip, if you don't put your foot when you've got two little circles, like nobody's gonna really sign up for you. If you haven't even bothered to put your photo or your little bit. Yeah, well, now we're illustrating. So it's easy, isn't it? Yeah. Put those in. So they say PNGs all your images PNG. I think they are Yeah, that's yeah. Oh, and someone else mentioned as well, cleanliness of creativity conscious. She was saying that. Subs don't really respond to everything. They uses all the user feedback. So if they don't like all those threads, or all those different sections, or they, they're not functional for certain people, then they will listen to them and they change them within a week. I haven't been into those chats, they have like an open questions once a week go in there, and I want to go in and tell them that we can have replies in as pictures to any kind of post. That's what I'm gonna ask them. Yeah, I think you should all the other states will be really happy. Because it was really set up for writers and journalists to to self publish, like medium, or did not go too far into these things. Because I really don't know what you're basically going to fiddle about. Yeah, yeah. You might as well set up your playing wall. Yeah. Okay, that's it. substack done. So if you start one tell us so we can have a look at it. Yes. If you have a comment or something you could put easily Yeah, you could put yourself stuck on Goodship illustrators Facebook page if you're on that. Oh, yeah. Good. Comment somewhere else. Yeah. Because yeah, when nosy. Thank you for listening. Thanks. Bye bye.